Illini brace for new-look Penn State pass attack

Change shouldn’t be a surprise, considering Joe Paterno’s 46-run as head coach ended with a victory over Illinois on a snowy night in Happy Valley last season.

But when Penn State hired Bill O’Brien as coach, it signaled a move into the 21st century. O’Brien, the former offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach with the New England Patriots, already made it entertaining to watch the Nittany Lions throw the ball.

“It’s definitely exciting to have a successful passing game,’’ Penn State quarterback senior Matt McGloin said. “We definitely struggled in terms of passing in the past. Now, we’re having some success. It’s great to see.’’

When Illinois (2-2) hosts Penn State (2-2) in a Big Ten Conference opener Saturday (11 a.m., ESPN), the Illini face the league’s top passer and top receiver. That’s not a good thing for the Illini pass defense, which gave up 602 yards against the no-huddle spreads of Arizona State and Louisiana Tech.

“You watch the way they played the first game and played the last game, they’re a different team,’’ said Illini quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase. “They were trying to find themselves in the first game. Now, they’re finding their swagger.’’

McGloin threw for a career-high 318 yards and one touchdown while also running for two touchdowns in the 24-13 win over Temple Saturday. The 300-yard game was his first this season and third in his career, tying for second all-time in school history, one game behind Kerry Collins’ school record. By comparison, the Illini have seven quarterbacks all time with five or more 300-yard games.

McGloin has thrown for 1,006 yards with nine touchdowns and two interceptions after getting a handle on the NFL-style offense, but he was smart enough not to criticize the old scheme.

“You can’t compare the two (offenses),’’ McGloin said. “It’s two different philosophies. It took a lot of time to learn.’’

During the offseason transition, O’Brien first began working with McGloin on defensive coverages, fronts and pressures. He also taught the former walk-on how O’Brien makes his calls.

“You could tell right away he’s a bright kid who would really work at it,’’ O’Brien said. “He’s got a long way to go. He can get better. Through four games, he’s done everything we asked him to do. He’s done really good things and things we need to improve.’’